When the firefly had gone, the ape called together his company, and told them about the proposed fight.  He ordered them to get each one a club about three feet long and to be on the plaza at six o’clock the next Sunday evening.  His companions were greatly amazed, but as they were used to obeying their captain, they promised to be ready at the appointed time and place.

On Sunday evening, just before six o’clock, they assembled on the plaza, and found the firefly already waiting for them.  Just then the church bells rang the Angelus, so the firefly proposed that they should all pray.  Immediately after the prayer, the firefly signified that he was ready to begin.  The ape had drawn up his company in line, with himself at the head.  Suddenly the firefly lighted upon the ape’s nose.  The ape next in line struck at the firefly, but succeeded only in striking the captain such a terrible blow on the nose as to kill him.  The firefly meanwhile, seeing the blow coming, had jumped upon the nose of the second ape, who was killed by the next in line just as the captain had been killed; and so on down the whole line, until there was but one ape left.  He threw down his club and begged the firefly to spare him.  The firefly graciously allowed him to live, but since that time the apes have been in mortal terror of the fireflies.

CHAPTER 21

The Snail and the Deer. [7]

The deer made fun of the snail because of his slowness, so the latter challenged the former to a race.  “We will race to the well on the other side of the plaza,” said the snail.  “All right,” replied the deer.

On the day of the race the deer ran swiftly to the well, and when he got there he called, “Mr. Snail, where are you?” “Here I am,” said the snail, sticking his head up out of the well.  The deer was very much surprised, so he said:  “I will race you to the next well.”  “Agreed,” replied the snail.  When the deer arrived at the next well, he called as before, “Mr. Snail, where are you?” “Here I am,” answered the snail.  “Why have you been so slow?  I have been here a long time waiting for you.”  The deer tried again and again, but always with the same result; until the deer in disgust dashed his head against a tree and broke his neck.

Now the first snail had not moved from his place, but he had many cousins in each of the wells of the town and each exactly resembled the other.  Having heard the crows talking of the proposed race, as they perched on the edge of the wells to drink, they determined to help their cousin to win it, and so, as the deer came to each well, there was always a snail ready to stick his head out and answer, “Here I am” to the deer’s inquiry.

CHAPTER 22

Story of Ca Matsin and Ca Boo-Ug. [8]

One day a turtle, whose name was Ca Boo-Ug, and a monkey, Ca Matsin, met on the shore of a pond.  While they were talking, they noticed a banana plant floating in the water.